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Clutch Issues

To get up to speed, I have a 1980 Federal Spitfire, no overdrive. When I first got my car, the clutch master cylinder was dry, but there was fluid in the line. So I filled the cylinder, and today I bled the line. Before, it felt like the clutch was really doing nothing. I could shift the gears whether or not I pushed the clutch in. After bleeding the clutch, I can still shift the gears without engaging the clutch, but now the clutch pedal doesn't move at all. Any ideas?

Re: Clutch Issues

How long did this car sit unmoved. It sounds like a long time if the clutch cylinder was dry. The clutch may be stuck in the open position which would allow you to shift gears.
Usually clutches stick in the engaged position so you can't disengage it. But your sounds like it is stuck disengaged. You may have to open it up.

Re: Clutch Issues

You may have multiple problems here! First, I would just either rebuild or replace both clutch master and slave cylinders. Once that's done, you might still find that the clutch driven disc is stuck (happens somewhat frequently on these cars when they sit for longish periods) and may require "creative" ways of freeing it up. You'll know this is the case once the hydraulics are ok but you get nothing but grinding gears when the engine is running and you try for a gear!

Re: Clutch Issues

As Andy said, bad stuff can happen when the car sits for long periods of time. When we brought our GT6 home it had been sitting for 15+ years. The brake and clutch masters were empty except for crystalline white/green crusty growths in the reservoir. I was able to get the masters apart but the bores were ruined. I bought generic aftermarket masters, slaves, and wheel cylinders. I did flush out the hard lines but replaced the rubber flex lines.

It was certainly worth it to replace everything. I knew everything was new. Confidence in your brakes is imperative and the clutch is certainly easy to do at the same time. If you opt to replace the parts listed above, that only leaves you the brake calipers as a component to "open up" and rebuild. Everything else will be new.

Re: Clutch Issues

I have what's left of a Mk2 Spitfire that sat outside under a tarp for maybe 10 years before I got it. It's been in the barn now for well over 25 years. A couple years back, I took the master cylinders off the firewall simply out of curiosity, only to discover that there was still fluid present and the bores and other bits were in excellent shape. Shocked the living heck out of me, 'cause -- as Doug notes -- "bad stuff can happen when the car sits for long periods of time"! I'd have expected much worse, and 95% of the time, what Doug found is what I found!

I mention this mostly because, for whatever reason, both of the cylinders were the now-rare "tall reservoir" style. They have been cleaned up and rebuilt for use in my cars at some point in the near future.